Celebrating the one millionth tree for Melbourne’s West

An ambitious plan to green the western suburbs of Melbourne by planting 1 million trees has come full circle.

The Greening the West 1 Million Trees (GTW 1MT) project secured $5 million funding from the Federal Government’s 20 Million Trees program. The planting of the 1 millionth tree will take place along lower Kororoit Creek in Altona; a key site which has been transformed with trees.

This memorable occasion will take place on Friday 19th October – nearby where the first tree was planted in 2015.

The GTW 1MT project brought together a working group with members through LeadWest, Port Phillip and Westernport Catchment Management Authority including City West Water (CWW), community groups, local councils and government authorities who delivered multiple tree planting projects across multiple sites including parks, reserves and key waterways.

LeadWest CEO Craig Rowley said he was delighted with the outcome for the thousands of residents and businesses that call the western suburbs of Melbourne home.

“Many areas in the western suburbs have suffered as a result of minimal vegetation, and this initiative has been addressing that imbalance, delivering positive outcomes for the community,” said Mr Rowley.

“It’s a legacy to be proud of.”

The baseline average canopy cover for urban Victoria is 18.83%, while the western suburbs of Melbourne have less than 10% canopy cover on average.

Increasing the numbers of trees in Melbourne’s west adds ecological value to parks, restoring creek corridors and enhancing open spaces. It delivers real benefits to the community through increased tree canopy cover for climate change adaptation and urban cooling initiatives.

City West Water’s Managing Director, David Ryan said, the 1MT project was a unique opportunity to shape and improve environmental outcomes.

“The 1 Million Trees Project has made visible, substantial and wide-ranging improvements to the liveability, sustainability, health and wellbeing of Melbourne’s west now and for the future,” said Mr Ryan.

City West Water planted 10,000 trees across key sites including 6,000 trees at our West Werribee Salt Reduction Plant site to support the project.

The 1MT project was launched in May 2015 with a goal of planting 1 million trees by 2018, a milestone which will be celebrated by community members and LeadWest, Port Phillip and Westernport Catchment Management Authority partners including City West Water, Brimbank, Hobsons Bay, Maribyrnong, Melton, Moonee Valley, Wyndham and Moorabool Shire Councils, Western Water, Melbourne Water and Parks Victoria, VicRoads, Friends of Lower Kororoit Creek and numerous other ‘Friends of’ and community groups.

Mr Rowley said the 1 MT project was a once-in-a-generation opportunity for the community to drastically improve liveability and health outcomes in the western metropolitan region.